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Sallisaw Clinic Mold-Abatement Continues

The Cherokee Nation continues its mold-abatement work at the tribe’s Sallisaw health center, and the main center, now a shell, remains under construction, Rhonda Cochran, the tribe’s executive regional clinic director, said Tuesday.

When mold was discovered Aug. 7, tribal officials closed the main building and the dental clinic portions of the Redbird Smith Health Center to allow the mold to be removed, Cochran said.

With patient and staff safety in mind, patient services were redirected to the Redbird Smith Health Center Annex just behind the main center, and mobile buildings were moved onto the property to use as a laboratory, as patient exam rooms and administration and health offices, she said. The arrangement has allowed the center to continue serving about 200 patients a day, about half of its normal patient load, Cochran said.

The dental clinic remains closed, and dental patients have been rerouted to the Wilma P. Mankiller clinic in Stilwell, Okla., and Three Rivers clinic in Muskogee, Okla., where Redbird Smith dental staff are temporarily working. Patients also may choose to go to W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah, Okla., Cochran said.

The busy Redbird clinic, according to tribal literature, was the first Cherokee health clinic built “from the ground up.” Sitting on five acres, the 21,945-square-foot clinic offers medical, dental, optometry, radiology, mental health, public health, wellness, mail-order pharmacy, laboratory, nutrition WIC and contract care services. Its 11,444-square-foot annex was added in 2007, and the clinic has more than 72,000 outpatient visits a year.

Currently, the Redbird Smith Health Center is a shell as contractors gutted walls, flooring and are replacing its roof. The facility is expected to reopen in spring 2013, Cochran said. The cause of the mold is thought to be leaky air-conditioning units, drainage problems and unsealed pipes in the 20-year-old building, she said.

There’s good news.

The center just received a favorable air quality study, and the mold has been removed, Cochran said.

Indian Health Services awarded the Cherokee Nation an emergency grant to help cover about $1.3 million in repair costs.

“We look forward to reopening the upgraded Redbird Smith Health Center this spring. We want our Cherokee citizens to know their health needs continue to be at the forefront during this renovation process, and we appreciate their understanding and patience,” Cochran said.

Exposure to the mold is thought to have been minimal for employees and patients, tribe officials have said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at Atlanta, molds are found indoors and outdoors. People sensitive to molds can experience nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, wheezing or skin reactions. People exposed to large amounts of molds can have more serious reactions, including fever, shortness of breath or even some chronic lung diseases.